Study Guide - Stratford Festival

y William Shakespeare
From left:
Dion Johnstone as Valentine,
Claire Lautier as Silvia,
Bruce Dow as Speed,
Robert Persichini as Launce,
Gareth Potter as Proteus
and Sophia Walker as Julia
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Table of Contents
1. The Story ............................................................................................page 1
2. Cast of Characters...................................................................................... 1
3. The Playwright ........................................................................................... 2
4. History of The Two Gentlemen of Verona at Stratford ...................... 5
5. Imaginative Ways to Approach the Text ............................................... 6
6. Discussion Topics.....................................................................................12
7. Resources...................................................................................................13
The Two Gentlemen of Verona Study Guide
Stratford Shakespeare Festival 2010

The Story
Having decided to leave Verona to seek his fortune in Milan, Valentine takes
leave of his friend Proteus, who prefers to stay at home and woo his lover, Julia.
Soon afterwards, however, Proteus is ordered by his father to follow Valentine –
which he does, after swearing an oath of allegiance to Julia. In Milan, Valentine
falls in love with Silvia, daughter of the Duke, and plans to elope with her.
Proteus, however, no sooner sets eyes on Silvia than he too becomes besotted
with her. Forgetting both his friendship for Valentine and his oath to Julia, he
betrays the lovers’ intentions to the Duke, who promptly banishes Valentine. To
assist him in his fruitless attempts to woo Silvia for himself, Proteus then
engages the services of a page boy, Sebastian – unaware that this “boy” is in
fact the distraught Julia, who has disguised herself in order to follow her
faithless lover. Fleeing the court to escape the equally unwelcome attentions of
both Proteus and the suitor chosen for her by her father, Silvia is taken prisoner
by a band of outlaws. She is “rescued” by Proteus, who then threatens her with
rape. Fortunately, Valentine intervenes, confrontation leads to forgiveness, and
all the parties are happily reconciled at last.
Cast of Characters
DUKE of Milan
SILVIA, his daughter
PROTEUS, a gentleman of Verona
LANCE, his clownish servant
VALENTINE, a gentleman of Verona
SPEED, his clownish servant
THURIO, a foolish rival to Valentine
ANTONIO, father of Proteus
PANTHINO, his servant
JULIA, beloved of Proteus
LUCETTA, her waiting-woman
HOST, where Julia lodges
SIR EGLAMOUR, agent for Silvia in her escape
OUTLAWS
Servants, musicians
The Two Gentlemen of Verona Study Guide 1
Stratford Shakespeare Festival 2010

The Playwright:
William Shakespeare
Born in Stratford-upon-Avon, a small
Warwickshire town, in 1564, William
Shakespeare was the eldest son of John
Shakespeare, a glover, and Mary Arden, the
daughter of a wealthy farmer. The exact date
of his birth is unknown, but baptismal records
point to it being the same as that of his death,
April 23. He probably attended what is now the
Edward VI Grammar School, where he would
have studied Latin literature, and at 18, he
married a farmer’s daughter, Anne Hathaway,
with whom he had three children: Susanna,
born in 1583, and, two years later, the twins
Hamnet (who died in childhood) and Judith.
Nothing further is known of his life until 1592,
when his earliest known play, the first part of
Henry VI, became a hit in London, where
Shakespeare was now working as an actor.
Soon afterwards, an outbreak of the plague
forced the temporary closure of the theatres,
and Shakespeare turned for a while to writing poetry. By 1594, however, he was
back in the theatre, acting with the Lord Chamberlain’s Men. He quickly
established himself as one of London’s most successful dramatists, with an
income that enabled him, in 1957, to buy a mansion back in Stratford. In 1599 he
became a shareholder in London’s newly built Globe Theatre.
In 1603, Shakespeare’s company was awarded a royal patent, becoming known
as the King’s Men. Possibly as early as 1610, the playwright retired to his home in
Stratford-upon-Avon, living there – and continuing to invest in real estate – until
his death on April 23, 1616. He is buried in the town’s Holy Trinity Church.
In the first collected edition of his works in 1623, fellow dramatist Ben Jonson
called him a man “not of an age, but for all time”. Not only did Shakespeare
write some of the most popular plays of all time, but he was a very prolific writer,
writing 38 (canonically accepted) works in 23 years. His work covered many
subjects and styles, including comedies, tragedies, histories, and romances, all
bearing his hallmark expansive plots, extraordinary language, and humanist
themes. Shakespeare enjoyed great popularity in his lifetime, and 400 years
later, he is still the most produced playwright in the world.
The Two Gentlemen of Verona Study Guide 2
Stratford Shakespeare Festival 2010

A Shakespearean Timeline
1558 Elizabeth I crowned.
1564 William Shakespeare born.
1572 Actors not under the protection of a patron declared rogues and
vagabonds.
1576 “The Theatre,” the first public playhouse in London, opens.
1577 “The Curtain,” London’s second playhouse, opens.
1578 James VI (later James I of England) takes over government of
Scotland.
1579 Publication of North’s English translation of Plutarch’s Lives of the
Noble Grecians and Romans.
1580 Francis Drake returns in triumph form his voyage around the world;
travelling players perform at Stratford.
1582 Shakespeare marries Anne Hathaway; Susanna is born six months
later and the twins Hamnet and Judith in 1585.
1587 “The Rose” theatre opens in London. Mary Queen of Scots is
executed.
1588 Spanish Armada defeated.
1589 Shakespeare finds work as an actor in London; he lives apart from
his wife for 21 years.
1590-1591 The Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Taming of the Shrew.
1591 2 Henry VI, 3 Henry VI.
1592 Thousands die of plague in London; theatres closed. 1 Henry VI,
Titus Andronicus, Richard III.
1593 The Comedy of Errors.
1594 Shakespeare becomes a shareholder of his theatre company, the
Lord Chamberlain’s Men.
1594 Love’s Labour’s Lost.
1595 Richard II, Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
1596 Shakespeare’s son, Hamnet, dies.
1596-1597 King John, The Merchant of Venice, 1 Henry IV.
1597-1598 The Merry Wives of Windsor, 2 Henry IV, Much Ado About Nothing.
1598 “The Globe” theatre built.
The Two Gentlemen of Verona Study Guide 3
Stratford Shakespeare Festival 2010

1598-1599 Henry V, Julius Caesar.
1599-1600 As You Like It.
1600-1601 Hamlet, Twelfth Night.
1601 Shakespeare’s patron arrested for treason following the Essex
rebellion; he is later pardoned.
1602 Troilus and Cressida.
1603 Queen Elizabeth dies and is succeeded by James I; Shakespeare’s
theatre company becomes the King’s Men.
1603 Measure for Measure, Othello.
1604 Work begins on the King James Bible.
1604-1605 All’s Well That Ends Well, Timon of Athens, King Lear (Q)
1606 Macbeth, Antony and Cleopatra.
1607 Pericles.
1608 Coriolanus.
1609 The Winter’s Tale.
1610 King Lear (F), Cymbeline.
1610 Shakespeare retires to Stratford-upon-Avon.
1611 The Tempest.
1611 King James Bible published.
1613 Henry VIII (All Is True), The Two Noble Kinsmen.
1613 “The Globe” theatre burns down.
1616 Shakespeare dies in Stratford-upon-Avon.
1623 The first folio of Shakespeare’s collected plays is published.
* Some dates are approximate.
The Two Gentlemen of Verona Study Guide 4
Stratford Shakespeare Festival 2010

Festival Production
History
There have been six other productions of The Two Gentlemen of Verona at the
Stratford Shakespeare Festival.
1958 (tour): Directed by Michael Langham, with Ann Morrish as Julia, Lloyd
Bochner as Proteus, Diana Maddox as Silvia and Eric House as Valentine.
Designed by Tanya Moiseiwitsch.
1975 (Avon Theatre): Directed by Robin Phillips, with Mia Anderson as Julia,
Nicholas Pennell as Proteus, Jackie Burroughs as Silvia and Stephen Russell as
Valentine. Designed by Molly Harris Campbell.
1984 (Third Stage, now the Tom Patterson Theatre): Directed by Leon Rubin,
with Maggie Huculak as Julia, David Clark as Proteus, Michelle Fisk as Silvia and
Robert McClure as Valentine. Designed by Pat Flood.
1988 (Avon Theatre): Directed by Robert Beard, with Peggy Coffey as Julia,
Henry Czerny as Proteus, Kim Horsman as Silvia and John Wojda as Valentine.
Designed by Brian Jackson.
1992 (Tom Patterson Theatre): Directed by Marti Maraden, with Helen Taylor as
Julia, Scott Fisher and Neil Ingram as Proteus, Daria Martel as Sylvia and Mervon
Mehta as Valentine. Designed by Debra Hanson.
1998 (Festival Theatre): Directed by Richard Rose, with Melody A. Johnson as
Julia, David Jansen as Proteus, Tamara Bernier as Silvia and Graham Abbey as
Valentine. Designed by Teresa Przybylski.
The Two Gentlemen of Verona Study Guide 5
Stratford Shakespeare Festival 2010

Imaginative Ways to Approach the Text
Conversations for Two
Grade Level 4 - 12
Ontario
Curriculum
Expectations
Drama: Creating and Presenting (4 - 8)
Drama: Theory, Creation, Analysis (9 - 12)
Time Needed one class period
Space open space, no desks
Materials none
Setting up the exercise:
Students are going to improvise short scenes. The number one rule of
improvising is you can’t say no: you must work with everything your
partner does – even if you have to change what you had planned – and
incorporate it into the scene.
Agree on the signal to start the improv and the signal to end.
The exercise:
Pair up students; provide enough room for each pair to work without
disturbance from others.
Provide one or more of the scene starters listed below.
Give the signal to start the improv.
After no more than three minutes, give the signal to end.
Have students find another partner and repeat with another topic.
Scene starters:
Two friends discuss a romantic interest they have in a third party. Neither
knows initially that they are both interested in the same person.
One friend tries to convince a less adventurous friend to go skydiving.
A mother tried to convince her reticent child to go on an exchange to
another country.
Two friends discuss a forbidden relationship between two people they
both know.
One young person reveals to another a plan to steal something valuable.
One person reveals to another that he/she witnessed the other’s love
interest in a compromising position with someone else.
A student is caught cheating on a test by a teacher.
A father informs his child that he/she is no longer welcome in the family
home.
The Two Gentlemen of Verona Study Guide 6
Stratford Shakespeare Festival 2010

Imaginative Ways to Approach the Text
Soundscapes
Grade Level 4 - 12
Ontario
Curriculum
Expectations
Drama: Creating and Presenting (4 - 8)
Drama: Theory, Creation, Analysis (9 - 12)
Time Needed one class period
Space open space, desks cleared away
Materials three scene locations to hand out to groups
Setting up the exercise:
Define “soundscape”: a series of sounds that creates an atmosphere.
No words are allowed, but students may use nonverbal muttering to
create the sense of people talking.
The exercise:
Divide the class into three groups.
Give each group a different scene location from The Two Gentlemen of
Verona (provided below).
Each group will create a soundscape to evoke their scene location.
As the groups plan and rehearse, travel around and coach them as
needed.
After 10 to 15 minutes, groups should be finished.
Turn off the lights.
Have each group present their soundscape.
As each group finishes, have the listeners guess the scene location.
Scene locations:
A street in Verona
A forest near Milan
The Duke’s court in Milan
The Two Gentlemen of Verona Study Guide 7
Stratford Shakespeare Festival 2010

Imaginative Ways to Approach the Text
Word Web
Grade Level 9 - 12
Ontario
Curriculum
Expectations
Drama: Reflecting, Responding, and Analysing (4 - 8)
Drama: Theory, Creation, Analysis (9 - 12)
Time Needed one class period
Space classroom
Materials blackboard, whiteboard or chart paper with chalk or markers
Setting up the exercise:
Divide the class into groups of about five students.
On the blackboard, whiteboard or chart paper, print and circle the word
betrayal.
The exercise:
Give students 10 minutes to brainstorm in groups and come up with
words and phrases they associate with betrayal.
After 10 minutes, invite students to come up, one at a time, and write one
of their ideas outside the betrayal circle, drawing a line to connect it to
the circle.
The student should also explain the association to the group.
Example:
betrayal --------------------- love
“Betrayal is most painful when it is someone you love who betrays you.”
As students add their words, a web or spoked wheel will form (see below
for an example).
There are no right or wrong answers in this exercise, as long as a
connection can be drawn to betrayal.
After the web is complete, ask students to choose a character from the
play and three words from the web which they might associate with that
character.
Have students explain how the words and the character are connected.
Example:
Julia: love, sadness, forgiveness
“Julia loves Proteus and feels great sadness when he betrays her for
Silvia. Her love for him enables her to forgive him in the end.”
Possible extensions:
Have students repeat the exercise in their own notebooks, replacing
betrayal with a word of their own choosing that relates to one of the
central themes of The Two Gentlemen of Verona.
The Two Gentlemen of Verona Study Guide 8
Stratford Shakespeare Festival 2010

Provide the following list of suggestions if the are stuck:
o love
o coming of age
o forgiveness
o loyalty
o virtue
o honesty
o friendship
Sample word web:
broken trust
pain
hopeless
guilt
forgiveness
revenge
treachery
rage
faithless
betrayal
villain
deceit
anger
love
dishonesty
sadness
alienation
remorse
cheat
The Two Gentlemen of Verona Study Guide 9
Stratford Shakespeare Festival 2010

Imaginative Ways to Approach the Text
Writing in Role
Grade Level 6 - 12
Ontario draft and revise their writing…
Curriculum Writing: Developing and Organizing Content (9 - 12)
Expectations Writing: Using Knowledge of Form and Style (9 - 12)
Writing: Applying Knowledge of Conventions (9 - 12)
Time Needed one to two class periods
Space classroom
Materials writing journal or paper
Setting up the exercise:
Students should be familiar with The Two Gentlemen of Verona and its
characters.
The exercise:
Students will assume the role of a character from The Two Gentlemen of
Verona and write a journal entry describing the character’s feelings in the
situation provided.
Characters and situations:
JULIA: You have just heard Proteus declare his love for Silvia.
SILVIA: You have just learned your father has banished Valentine.
PROTEUS: Valentine has just left Verona and your own father is urging
you to follow.
VALENTINE: You have just seen Silvia for the first time.
DUKE OF MILAN: You have just discovered Valentine’s plan to elope with
Silvia.
LUCETTA: You have just helped Julia leave home in disguise to follow
Proteus.
The Two Gentlemen of Verona Study Guide 10
Stratford Shakespeare Festival 2010

Imaginative Ways to Approach the Text
Tableau the Story
Grade Level 4 - 12
Ontario Drama: Creating and Presenting (4 - 8)
Curriculum Drama: Reflecting, Responding, and Analysing (4 - 8)
Expectations Drama: Theory, Creation, Analysis (9 - 12)
Time Needed one class period
Space open space, no desks
Materials none
Setting up the exercise:
Students should be familiar with the events of The Two Gentlemen of
Verona.
Define “tableau”: a frozen picture that tells a story.
Remind students to:
o have varied levels in their tableaux (high, medium, low)
o decide where the “front” of their tableau is and make sure the
picture is directed toward the front
o make sure every group member is involved in every tableau – even
as furniture!
The exercise:
Divide students into groups of five or six.
Each group will decide on the five most important events of the play.
For each event, the group will create:
o a tableau depicting the event
o a newspaper headline describing the event
After 10 or 15 minutes, groups should be finished rehearsing their
tableaux.
Have each group choose one favourite tableau to present to the rest of
the class along with its headline.
After the tableau has been presented (the audience can discuss what
they see while the performers hold the tableau), the audience guesses
what event is being depicted.
The Two Gentlemen of Verona Study Guide 11
Stratford Shakespeare Festival 2010

Discussion Topics for Your
Class
For classes reading the play before seeing it:
1. What do you expect to see on stage at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival?
Have each student make a list of predictions about what they expect. Save these
predictions. After your Stratford trip, revisit them to see how they compared to
the actual production.
2. Create a character web showing how all the characters are connected to each
other. Discuss the complexity of these relationships and how they affect the
progression of the play.
After your Stratford trip:
1. The Two Gentlemen of Verona has appealed to artists and audiences around
the world for 400 years. What do you think the play’s message is?
2. What parts did you respond to most?
3. Were there parts you wished were different? How?
For more classroom activities, complete with instructions, materials and Ontario
curriculum expectation links, visit
stratfordshakespearefestival.com/teachingmaterials.
The Two Gentlemen of Verona Study Guide 12
Stratford Shakespeare Festival 2010

Resources
SHAKESPEARE: HISTORY, CRITICISM and BIOGRAPHY:
Beckerman, Bernard. Shakespeare and the Globe, 1599-1609. 1962.
Bentley, G.E. Shakespeare: A Biographical Handbook. 1951.
Boyce, Charles. Shakespeare A to Z. 1990.
Brown, Ivor. Shakespeare and the Actors. 1970.
Brown, John Russell. Shakespeare and his Theatre.
Burgess, Anthony. Shakespeare. 1970.
Campbell, Oscar James, ed. The Reader’s Encyclopedia of Shakespeare. 1966.
Dobson, Michael, ed. The Oxford Companion to Shakespeare. 2001.
Epstein, Norrie. The Friendly Shakespeare. 1992.
Frye, R. M. Shakespeare’s Life and Times: a Pictorial Record. 1067.
Gurr, Andrew. The Shakespearean Stage, 1574-1642. 1980.
Hodges, C. Walter. Shakespeare and the Players. 1948.
Muir, Kenneth and Samuel Schoenbaum, eds. A New Companion to
Shakespeare Studies, 1985.
Nagler, A. M. Shakespeare’s Stage. 1985.
Schoenbaum, Samuel. William Shakespeare: A Documentary Life. 1975.
Taylor, Gary. Reinventing Shakespeare. 1989.
Thomson, Peter. Shakespeare’s Theatre. 1983.
Tillyard, E. M. W. The Elizabethan World Picture. 1943.
Wells, Stanley, ed. The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare Studies. 1986.
THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA:
Shakespeare, William. The Two Gentlemen of Verona. Cambridge School. 1994.
Shakespeare, William. The Two Gentlemen of Verona. Arden. 2004.
ONLINE RESOURCES:
Mr. William Shakespeare and the Internet, shakespeare.palomar.edu
Sh:in:E Shakespeare in Europe, www.unibas.ch/shine
Encyclopaedia Britannica presents: Shakespeare and the Globe: Then and
Now, search.eb.com/shakespeare
Shakespeare’s Life and Times,
web.uvic.ca/shakespeare/Library/SLT/intro/introsubj.html
Shakespeare Online, www.shakespeare-online.com
Movie Review Query Engline, www.mrqe.com
Internet Movie Database, www.imdb.com
The Two Gentlemen of Verona Study Guide 13
Stratford Shakespeare Festival 2010

THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA ONLINE:
MIT Shakespeare Homepage: The Complete Works of William Shakespeare,
the-tech.mit.edu/Shakespeare/
THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA ON FILM, VIDEO and DVD:
1983 (UK): Directed by Don Taylor, starring Tessa Peake-Jones, Joanne Pearce,
Tyler Butterworth and John Hudson.
The Two Gentlemen of Verona Study Guide 14
Stratford Shakespeare Festival 2010